Graphic in teal blue with orange curved section that has several icons of folders, files, and ID. Title reads: Live in Connecticut and need to update your ID? GLAD and Shipman & Goodwin LLP can provide free support for transgender and non-binary people who need to update their name and gender marker on your state ID, driver license, or birth certificate. Logos of GLAD Answers, Ropes & Gray, Goodwin, and Shipman

The Transgender ID Project is a free resource for transgender people living in New England who want to update their legal name and gender marker on state and federal documents.

Updating your Connecticut state ID documents

In most cases you do not need to work with a lawyer to update your name or gender marker on ID documents and can typically update these documents fairly easily on your own. The Connecticut Quick Reference Guide has the information and materials you need to get started. Click here for the guide.

ID Project Guide button

Updating your federal ID documents

You can skip directly to our federal resources here:

YouTube video

If you need assistance updating your legal name and gender on federal and state documents, fill out the form below to sign up for support from the Transgender ID Project.

Get support:

Still have questions?

How do I obtain a legal name change in Connecticut?

To obtain a legal name change, you apply to either your local Probate or Superior Court. Here are the instructions for applying to Probate Court: Procedure for Applying to the Probate Court for Change of Name.

Adults need to complete and submit the following forms:

To change the name of a minor, you must complete and submit the following forms: 

Applicants who are indigent or otherwise unable to pay the application fee of $250 may be eligible for a waiver by completing and submitting Form PC-184: Request/Order Waiver of Fees (Petitioner)

Do I need to publish my name change in a newspaper?

No. Connecticut does not have this requirement.

How do I change the name and gender on my Connecticut driver’s license?

Here are the instructions for changing name and gender on a Connecticut driver’s license or identification card: GENDER DESIGNATION ON A LICENSE OR IDENTIFICATION CARD

If you are changing your name, you must first change it on your Social Security card. You must also submit a name change order from a court (NOTE: It doesn’t need to be from a Connecticut court) and complete the following form: CHANGE OF NAME OR NAME CORRECTION REQUEST 

To change the gender on an adult driver’s license or identification card, you must submit Form B-385: GENDER DESIGNATION ON A LICENSE OR IDENTIFICATION CARD. In addition to “Male” and “Female,” there is a gender-neutral “Non-Binary” option.

If the person requesting the change is a minor, a parent or guardian must be present and sign the B-385 form, or the minor must submit a signed and notarized 2D form with the B-385: Here is a link to the 2D Form: CERTIFICATE OF PARENTAL CONSENT DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES NOTARIZATION (Not valid unless notarized below) SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN.

NOTE: Beginning May 3, 2023, if you want to use a state ID to fly domestically or enter a federal building, it will need to be a REAL ID. For more information about obtaining a CT REAL ID, see: Connecticut Real ID – CT DMV Information 

If I was born in Connecticut, how do I change the name and gender on my birth certificate?

In 2015, Connecticut changed the law to allow a person to amend the sex designator on his or her birth certificate to reflect such person’s gender transition, without requiring any surgical treatment. Instead, the sex designator on the birth certificate can be amended if the registrant provides an affidavit from a physician, advance practice registered nurse, or psychologist, that the registrant has undergone surgical, hormonal or other treatment clinically appropriate for the purpose of gender transition.

The steps and forms for changing name and gender on a Connecticut birth certificate can be found here: Listed below are the necessary documents that the Department of Public Health will need to amend the sex designator on your birth certificate.

In addition to “Male” and “Female,” Connecticut allows a “Non-Binary” gender neutral option.

If you run into trouble or have questions, fill out the Transgender ID Project support form or contact GLAD Answers.